Venezuela swears in 5,600 new troops amid US military pressure

Venezuela swore in 5,600 new soldiers on Saturday as tensions rise with the United States, which has deployed a fleet of warships and the world’s largest aircraft carrier to the Caribbean, citing anti-drug operations.

President Nicolás Maduro has called for increased military recruitment, accusing Washington of seeking to overthrow his government and seize the country’s oil reserves. Colonel Gabriel Alejandro Rendon Vilchez, speaking at the ceremony at Fuerte Tiuna in Caracas, said, “Under no circumstances will we allow an invasion by an imperialist force.”

Venezuela currently has 200,000 troops and an additional 200,000 police officers.

The announcement comes amid reports of continued political repression. Former opposition governor Alfredo Díaz, 55, died in prison on Saturday, becoming at least the sixth opposition member to die behind bars since November 2024. Díaz had been imprisoned following protests over Maduro’s disputed re-election in July 2024 and had been held in isolation for a year, with only one visit from his daughter.

Human rights group Foro Penal reports that at least 887 political prisoners remain in Venezuelan jails.

Source: AFP